The High Court in Nairobi on Tuesday lifted an order barring Mary Wambui Mungai from accessing her 13 bank accounts over accusations of tax evasion totaling Sh2.2 billion.
Referring to evidence brought before the court, Justice Alfred Mabeya found that the Jubilee party financier was open to paying the taxes but Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) thwarted her plans.
KRA should have informed the court of the criminal allegations before denying her access to her accounts, ruled Justice Mabeya.
“Here is a case of a willing taxpayer whose effort to pay the ascertained taxes is being thwarted by the tax authorities,” he stated.
Read: KRA Wants Jubilee Party Financier Mary Wambui’s 13 Accounts Frozen
In January, the court allowed the accused person to travel to Turkey for the purchase of furniture for a hotel she is putting up in Nairobi.
“I am required to travel to Turkey for a pre-inspection and approval of furniture prototypes in satisfaction of the terms of a contract for manufacture and supply of hotel furniture between Glee Hotel ltd, a company in which I am the principal director and shareholder and Sagist Group, a hotel furniture factory in Istanbul, Turkey,” she said in an affidavit.
She claimed that if she did not travel, her company would suffer financial losses. She further pledged to deposit her passport in court once she jetted back into the country.
On December 8, KRA officers and DCI sleuths attempted but failed to arrest Wambui and her daughter Purity Njoki Mungai at a Nairobi hotel where they were staying.
Read Also: DCI Seeking Jubilee Financier Mary Wambui’s Call Records
The two were also accused of ignoring a court order to appear before the taxman on December 3, 2021, to be informed of the charges leveled against them.
On December 9, the Purma Holdings director and her daughter appeared before the Anti-Corruption Court to enter a plea to eight counts of illegally withholding taxes between 2014 and 2016.
After pleading not guilty to the accusations, they were released on a Sh50 million bail with a Sh25 million surety each, awaiting a subsequent hearing.
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